Design Review Guidelines and Code Provisions

Introduction

This page is part of the MRSC Design Review topic pages. It includes sample design guidelines for different types of development, including multifamily and commercial, downtown areas, single-familiy, historic areas, big-box retail development, and neighborhood-scale guidelines.

General Multifamily and Commercial Design Guidelines

This section includes sample general design review manuals and guidelines for commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily development. It includes some code provisions and design review processes.

Single-Family Design Guidelines

Single-family design guidelines generally focus on specific situations, such as development on very small lots, neo-traditional development, garage design, steep slopes or unique lot conditions, or transitional areas adjacent to more intensive uses.

Historic Preservation Design Guidelines

Design review for historic properties is common and includes development within historic districts as well as individual designated structures outside of districts. Design review of changes to historic properties addresses both preservation of key features of designated buildings and the compatibility of adjacent new development with historic buildings. Landmarks and historic district boards typically review changes to historic structures for compatibility with adopted guidelines that address important designated features of a building and/or characteristics of buildings within a historic district. Many historic preservation guidelines for design review are based on The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Most preservation boards have adapted The Secretary of the Interior's Standards by developing their own guidelines for changes to historic properties.

King County Preparing a Project for Design Review, Technical Paper No. 21, 09/2008, King County Historic Preservation Program - Explains the purpose of design review and Certificate of Appropriateness process